Mid Lea Valley
From Londonbirders
Mid Lea Valley
The definition given here is for the purpose of “my patch” for the 2006 competition rather than for the mid section of the Lea Valley which is far larger (I guess is about 6 miles long).
Area Covered
The patch is about 2 miles North/South and ½ mile East/West and bounded to the:
• South by the A121 (Eleanor Cross Rd/Station Rd) Waltham Cross to Waltham Abbey road.
• North by Hooks Marsh car park and Cadmore Lane.
• East by the Flood Relief Channel (Horsemill Stream).
• West by the Main Line Railway - Liverpool Street to Stanstead Airport
Access
There are numerous access points by foot and free car parking facilities at Walthan Lock, Trinty Lane, Windmill Lane, Cadmore Lane, Fishers Green, Hooks Marsh. Additionally, access by boat is possible since the River Lea Navigation runs through the site. There are three local Train Stations: Waltham Cross, Theobalds Grove but closest and best is Cheshunt.
Habitats
There are 5 major bodies of water; Bowyers Water, Friday Lake, Hooks Marsh, Police Pit and Cheshunt Lake which are flooded gravel pits and Hall Marsh Scrape. The gravel pits are used for recreation – either fishing or sailing (canoeing etc). Bowyers Water and Friday Lake are good bets for Smew and Goldeneye most winters. The rest of the area is scrub with un-grazed un improved grass (Small river lea, Thistly Marsh) or improved grass either mown or grazed (Turnershill Marsh and Waltham Marsh). The area is also a network of small water courses, drainage ditches etc. I am unsure what the patch total might be ( I have never kept records) I guess 80 is possible and 100 at a push.
Species List
2006 PatchList Competition (species shown in order seen)
1. Wood Pigeon
2. Blackbird
3. Magpie
4. Starling
5. Collared Dove
6. Black Headed Gull
7. Carrion Crow
8. House sparrow
9. Robin
10. Blue tit
11. Chaffinch
12. Dunnock
13. LBB Gull
14. Moorhen
15. Mallard
16. Tufted Duck
17. Coot
18. Mute Swan
19. Wigeon
20. Gadwall
21. Canada Goose
22. Great Tit
23. Goldfinch
24. Great Crested Grebe
25. Greenfinch
26. Green Woodpecker
27. Shoveler
28. Fieldfare
29. Lapwing
30. Wren
31. Cormorant
32. Sparrowhawk
33. Teal
34. Smew
35. Long-Tailed tit
36. Pochard
37. Golden eye
38. Grey Heron
39. Golden plover
40. Snipe
41. Siskin
42. Kingfisher
43. Little Grebe
44. Greylag Goose
45. Mediterranean Gull
46. Common Gull
47. Herring Gull
48. Song Thrush
49. Jay
50. Lesser redpoll
51. Pheasant
52. Reed Bunting
53. Mistle Thrush
54. Great Spotted Woodpecker
55. Redwing
56. Pintail
57. Buzzard
58. Grey Wagtail
59. Chiffchaff
60. Willow Warbler
61. Sand Martin
62. Swallow
63. Blackcap
64. Redshank
65. Jackdaw
66. Little ringed Plover
67. Shelduck
68. Kestrel
69. Skylark
70. Garden Warbler
71. Whitethroat
72. Little Egret
73. House Martin
74. Sedge Warbler
75. Cuckoo
76. Ruddy Duck
77. Lesser Whitethroat
78. Nightingale
79. Common Tern
